The present invention relates to a draper platform for attachment to a combine harvester and comprising: a center section that is attachable to the feed channel of a combine harvester and lateral sections arranged laterally thereto, wherein the lateral sections are pivotable about a pivot axis that is oriented at least approximately in travel direction; a cutter bar that is supported by several arms pivotably connected to a frame of the center section or of a lateral section; conveying devices for conveying the cut stalk material; and drive devices for driving the cutter bar and the conveying devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,372 discloses a draper platform of the aforementioned kind. In addition to the rigid knife holders on the exterior sides, there are also eight pivotably supported arms each on the lateral sections that secure the cutter bar and six pivotably supported arms are mounted on the center section that secure the cutter bar. Across the width of the three-part draper platform, there are therefore, for a predetermined working width, 22 pivotably supported support arms on which the cutter bar is secured. The support arms have a uniform lateral spacing of approximately 76 cm relative to each other. In this way, the draper platform can adapt easily to a different ground contour in transverse direction; this is advantageous, in particular for great working widths of more than 8 m and crop that is to be cut as low as possible to the ground, for example, soybean.
It is the object of the present invention to improve the known draper platform.